Packaging - ***
The packaging is very similar to the original Space Ghost, making it good
for MOMC collectors who hang them on the wall together. It's bright
and colorful, with nicely laid out graphics. The only real negative
is that the back of the cards are generic, with nothing special to donate
each figure. QA on the text was weak as well - read it and you'll
see what I mean.
Sculpting - ***1/2
This sculpt was done by 'Vice'. I'm not sure if that's merely a
person, or a design team, but the work is certainly as nice as the
previous Space Ghost, and more complicated.
Sure, since it's a cartoon,
these sculpts don't have the complexity of a real human. But Brak and
Zorak are both more detailed sculpts than Space Ghost was, and the work is
superb.
There's a couple minor
quibbles - Brak's chin seems a little too long and pointy, and the body
sculpt on Zorak looks like it will have issues standing over time - but
for the most part, the sculpting is excellent.
Paint - ***
The paint ops are good, and also more complicated than Space Ghost, with 5
or 6 colors being used. There's still not a lot of detail, but
that's they style of the cartoon.
Articulation - ***1/2
One of the greatest things about Space Ghost was the terrific
articulation, and many people were worried that they would loose that
feature with the second series. Many of the early prototype pictures
showed far fewer points of articulation.
Have no fear - these are
great. The only lose of articulation is at the shoulders, since
Space Ghost had ball jointed shoulders, and these only have cut
joints. Still, with ball jointed necks, shoulders, elbows, wrists,
hips, knees, waist and ankles, these have plenty of joints for posing and
playing.
The only issue I have is on
some of the strength of the joints themselves, particularly with Zorak.
I suspect that breaking them could be a little too easy, and that even
though Zorak has all kinds of articulation, his sculpt limits how much
good it is.
Accessories - ***
All three figures only have one accessory. In the case of Moltar
and Zorak though, it's such a large, cool accessory that it's
understandable.
But Brak only comes with his
extra set of arms/hands, and that seems extremely light for this price
point.
Zorak comes with his
keyboard, and Brak comes with his console. Both look just like the
show, and the great sculpting and good paint ops that you see on the
figures extends to the accessories.
My only other disappointment
is that Moltar's screen doesn't have any video picture on it. A
sticker is really a necessary touch.
Value - ***
The value for these is actually better than the original Space
Ghost. He hit stores at $20, and that's really too much. At
$15, they get three stars - if you can find them for $10, that's a great
buy.
Overall - ***1/2
I'm not a huge fan of Coast to Coast, although when I do get to catch it I
always come away laughing. But I do remember the original Space
Ghost cartoons fondly from my youth, and Toycom has done a terrific job
bringing these characters into the 3-D world. I was pleasantly
surprised by how well these turned out, and if you're a big fan of the
show I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Where to Buy -
I picked my set up at Media Play, but they were $15 each plus tax. I
know that Tower Records is also getting them in the stores, but I'm unsure
about others like Electronics Boutique. On-line there are some
decent deals:
- Entertainment Earth has a set
for $40 plus shipping. That beats what I paid at Media Play! (MROTW
Affiliate)
- Action
Figure Express has the set for $45 plus shipping. (MROTW Affiliate)
- Toyzz.com
doesn't have these guys, but if you're looking for a bargain on the
original, they have the clear variant for just $8 right now. Search
for 'space ghost'.
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